Filing-envelop.



H. L. LOFT. E FILING ENvELo'P.

APPLICATION' EILED G6120. 15H3.

PatentedAug. 10, 1915.

H'Eivny L. LoET, or CHEROKEE, `I0WA.

FILING-ENVELOP.

` Specification ot Letters Patent. Patented Allg. 10,v 1915.

Application filed October 20, 1913. Serial No. 796,291.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY L. LorT, citizen of the United States, residing at Cheroy kee, in the county of Cherokee, and State of Iowa., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing-Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to expansible filing envelops and has as one of its objects to provide an envelop Vof this class which willl auto- 'matically lock when closed about the papers disposed therein and which will accommodate itself, also automatically, to the bulk of its contents Another aim of the invention is to so construct the clasp for holding the envelop closed that itwill not be exposed to view even though the contents of the envelop are bulky, and will not embody any pai'ts projecting beyond the exterior surface of the envelop in position liable to interfere with the filing of the envelop with others of its kind nor to tear or catch in thev lining of ones pocket if the envelop is carried about.

IThe invention further has as it 'object to so construct the clasp for closing it that the envelop will not be bulged at the point of location of the clasp. i

Another object of the invention is to so construct .the members ofthe clasp that the interengaging elements thereof will" be" adapted to wedge more tightly as the contents bulge the envelop sof that when the envelop has been folded tightly7 about its contents and the members comprising the vclasp have become interlocked. there will be little Y or no likelihood of the envelop accidentally opening.

The invention still further aims to so con- -struct the members ofthe clasp and .to so secure the same to the envelop that even though the contents of the envelop exert a considerable outward pressure against the sides thereof, the clasp members will not be liable to be torn loose.'

In short. the invention aims to provide a filing envelop which may be readily closed about its contents. which will automatically lock as it is closed, which will be free fron'i surface projections, and which will obviate the employment of rubber bandstyingtapes, bulky fastening or closing devices. and the like, and which, while simple and durablel in construction, may be manufactured and sold at areasonable cost. I

ln the accompanying drawings; l1 igure l view on the line 4 4 of Fig. l. v Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through the tongue member of the clasp. c

In the drawings the envelop is illustrated as formed from a folded blank and the front of the envelop is indicated bythe numeral l,

the back b v the numeral Q, and the 'c' osure 1 iiap by the numeral 3. The sides of the envelop maybe of bellows formation as indicated at l, or plain or folded asv desired, and the envelop ispiefeiablvprovided upon lthe inner side of its front l with a strip of greater length than the envelop. the end portions of the strip being folded back to form closure vflaps G designed to inclose the ends of the folded papers placed within the envelop and thereby vprevent the loss of the papers.

By reference to the drawings. it will be understood that the papers to be tiled within the envelop are placed upon the strip and the closure tiaps (i are then folded over the ends of the papers. after which the back '.5 is folded down upon the said iiaps and finally the closure flap 3 is folded down against the back, the automatic clasp enibodyingthe present invention and the menibers of which are carried b v the back and tiap 3. acting automatically to lock the closure flap 3 in position against the back '2 when the envelop is closed.

The clasp embodying the present invention includes a keeper member and a tongue member adapted to coperate therewith. The keeper member comprises a plate T which'is preferably rectangular and of relatively thin sheet metal and this plate is stamped with a series of teeth S extending longitudinally of the plate. the teeth themselves extending transversely and projecting slightlyv above the upper surface of the plate.

ln the stamping operation the plate is lit transversely at intervals` and the metal bctween the slits is pressed up so that a slot of each tooth. as indicated ln' thc numcral il. thc bodv portions of the teeth being` lo` cated in upwardl)v inclined vplanes and the.

upper or iarg'agiug edges of the teeth boing.

lOl)

'l0-3 is formed at the forward or engaging indoy end with'spurs 10 which are driven through the more remote from the free edge of the back 2 when the plate is secured to the said back. B v reference to the drawings it will be observed that the teeth attheir ends or sides are integral with the plate or, in other words. there are no incisionsv at the sides of the' teeth and thus the slots.` 9 .are closed at their ends, by .reason of which ,construction a useful purpose'is SUbServed, as will be presently pointed out. In order that the 'keeper plate may be secured to thebacl: 2 of' the envelop the plate 7 is provided at each the back and are overturned as indicated by the numeral 11.*. The tongue member of the clasp comprises a plate 12 which is stamped up about its middle to form a tongue 13 projecting,upwardly at an angle lfrom the upper side of the plate.

The plate 12 is provided at one end with spurs 14 corresponding to the spurs 10 but at its other end is devoid of any such fastening elements.

. In securing the plate to the closure flap 3 the plate is disposedin the position shown in the drawings with its edge 15 spaced a short distance from the free edge of the closure flap and the spurs Hare then. driven through the.

flap andoverturned, as indicated by the .nu- 'mei-al 16. .'The edge portion ofv the closure flap is then folded over and glued along its lentire length to theV inner sideof the body portion of the flap and the line of fold is coincident with the edge 15 of the plate 12 so that this edge bears directly inthe fold.'

and the portion of the plate between the base of the tongue 1-3 and the said edge 15 is coveredlby the folded over edge portion of the iap and securely held between the same and the innerI sideof the body portion of the flap. .It will now be apparent that asthe envelop 'is closed about its contents'4 the tongue 13 will ride over the teeth 8 andl when the envelop has been tightlyl drawn and then released, -the tongue will engage beneath one of the teeth 8 and the closure flap will be securely locked inpclosed position. It will be furthermore apparent that inasmuch' as-the body portions of the teeth are inclined as is also the tongue 13, the

tongue will' wedge beneath the teeth andwill more firmly engage as the outward l pressure ofthe contents of the envelop in# creases.

It is vto'be noted that the strain Y upon the tongue-is in such direction as to tend to pull the plate 12 toward the free Vedge 'ofthe closure ap but it will be un derstood that the plate is securely held against'being torn loose due tothe fact that its edge 15 -seats directly in the fold indicated in the drawings by the numeral 17 and consequently I*the spurs 14 will be relieved of strain to a lconsiderable extent.

As before stated, the slots'9are closed vatv their ends due to the fact that the sides of the teeth are integral with the plate 7 andA Vas a consequence the tongue 13 is prevented' from lateral displacement lfrom theteeth so that should the contentsof the envelop be more bulky at one end than at the other, the

clasp will symmetrically bulge the walls ofthe envelop. Itis furthermore to be vobserved that the tongue 13 is spaced inwardly from the 'free edge of the closure Hap so that when i't is desired to openthe envelop the' thumb may be inserted beneath the project- Ing edge portion of the flap and the same posed. There is, therefore, a distinct advantage in having the tongue'so located as dis# vtinguished from a structure in which the tongue would be vlocated directly at the edge of the Hap. Not only does the folded over edge portion of the flap 3 serve as almeans t-o secure one .end of the plate 12 in place but' the folded over'portion furthermore rein- .forces the edge of the flap throiighou't itsA entire length and, therefore, there is little likelihood that the corners of the flap -will'- be bent over or broken or interfere withthe proper filing of the envelop with others of its kind.

. Having thus described the invention', what is claimed as new is;-

1. The combination with an envelop hav-v ing overlapped inner and outer closing portions, of a clasp includlng a membercarrled by the inner closing portlon and a member carried bythe outer closing' portion, the

members having coperating locking ele ments and the body portion of the member carried by the opter closing portion comprising a plate secured at its end to saidclosing portion, the outer edge of said 4closing portion being folded over and securing the outer ends; thereof.-

2. The combination with anv envelop having overlapped closing portions, of'a clasp including members carried by the said' closing portions and having'coperating locking elements, the free edge of one of the closing portions being folded over and secured to one face thereof and the clasp member carried therebyv comprising a 'plate having its outer endseated inthe fold of the said closing portion and overlapped by the said fold-v ed free edge, andv its inner end constructed l with fastening elements inserted through and secured to the closing portion of the envelop, and the locking element of said mem` ber ,projecting therefrom between the ends of the same.

3, The combination with an envelop haven 110 end ofthe plate and the locking element of said member rising therefrom between thev ing \'ei":2`,\pei Closing' poi'ions. of n keeper member :seein-eil upon one of the `"..xiii pm? tions und having :i series of teeth. und :1. pinteseein'ed upon the other 'portion unil having it5 ontei' end iippmxinLieLv eoneiiien with the *free wijle o! ihe ,sind poi'ion rmi ',noYided between itsenil with :i tongue einen in n Qii'eetionnivuy tliom the anni ih@- inner end of the phite being formell with winning ihlviees inserted through :ind finned o the sind closing portion, und he l--.iil tongue beingr engngzenble with the teeth of the keeper member, the jf1-ee edge of the elimine' portion being' doubled whereby to ini-h i und secure the outer end of the plate.

In festixnony whereof I :ilix lny signaturein presence of two witnesses.

.MM iis PAYTOA" Vinvin: M. SL'LLIVAX.

iL. sf] 

